Centrifugal casting apparatus



Nov. 21, 1933. CAMEROTA 1,936,376

CENTRIFUGAL CAS TING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 19, 1932 s Sheets-Sheet 1 j 100 50 I l5 l6 91 WITNESSES: 1/ Louis flaamerom,

INVENTOR:

ywv Q. By

A TTORNEYSL N 1933- L. A. CAMEROTA CENTRIFUGAL CASTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

Filed Sept. 19, ,1932

Louis :2 Lanwmm,

ATTORNEYS.

1933- L. A. CAMEROTA CENTRIFUGAL CASTING APPARATUS INVENTOR.

fl (iameram, 1 I I TORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Louis Filed Sept. l 9, 1932 WITNESSES:

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CENTRIFUGAL CASTING APPnnA'rus Louis A. Camerota, Burlington, N. 5., assigno r to Walter Wood, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application September 19,1932

'Serial No. 633,794

f s oiaima, (01. 22-65) This invention relates to the art of making tion having'reference to theaccompanying drawhollow metal bodies by centrifugal casting, and ings. Of .the drawings: more particularly to apparatus for centrifugally Fig. I represents a plan view of the complete casting iron pipe or like articles, such apparatus apparatus embodying my invention. a r including a plurality of casting machines which I Fig. II represents a cross section of the same 69 are movable over a predetermined course from taken at the transfer station as indicated by, the one foundry station to another, and which perlines II--II of 'Fig,I

form certain flask handling functions in addi- Fig. Ill represents across section of the same tion to their primary function of centrifugally taken at the'pouring station as indicated by the 39 casting metal bodies within the flasks. lines IIIIII.of Fig. I. 5

Heretofore it has been customary practice in Fig. IV represents a cross section of the same this art to employ stationary casting machines, taken at the flask receiving station as indicated 1 and to convey flasks to and from the machines. by the lines IV-IV of Fig, I; and With such'practice the casting operation at eaeh Fig. V represents. a cross section of the same machine consumes a considerable period of time. taken at. the flask discharging station as in-' 79 When a flask is in readiness for the casting operdicatedby the lines V'V of Fig. I. ation .it is brought to an idle machine, placed In the'drawings there is shown an embodiment thereon, and caused to rotate at a slow speed. of my invention in which the apparatus is de- The charge of molten metal is then poured into signed for the manufacture of'cast iron pipe in 2c the flask, and the speed of rotation is accelerated. flasks lined with refractory molds. The flasks, $5 Subsequently, when the casting has been formed, designated at 1, with. their molds prepared, are the speed of rotation is decelerated gradually. initially conveyed to atrackway which I.conven= From the time that the mold has been fully iently-term the flask reizeivingstatiorif, which charged until the casting operation has been is comprehensively designated at 2, and which completed, and the flask has come to a full stop, comprises in the present instance an elevated 89 there is a considerable interval during which the table made of parallel rails 13. From the flask machine is not available for other work. More receiving station 2 the flasks 1 are transported. over, where a battery of stationary casting main pairs onto movable casting machines 4. The chines is used, flasks must be conveyed to and casting machines 4 are progressed in the direcfrom the different machines, and ladies of molten tion represented by the arrows in Fig. I-along a 5 metal must be carried from one location to anpredetermined course constituting 'a closed pirother. Accordingly it will beseen that with wit. During this-progression eachmachine one or mpre stationary centrifugal casting mamomentarily halted ata pouring station, com--' chines there are many factors which interfere prehensively designated at 5,where,molten metal s with rapid production and which complicate the is charged into thefiasks. After completing the g0; handling of the flasks and-the operation of chargcircuit each machine ,4 is momentarily halted ing the molds. at a station 6 in the form of a 'trackway which i The pricipal object of myinvention is-to obviate conveniently term the flask discharging sta- 4 the aforementioned difficulties and to increase tion, and at which the flasks with the pipe cast- 4o he-speed of production in making centrifugally ings therein are discharged for further progres- 5 cast metal bodies, while simplifying the handling sion to a mold disintegration station where the operations normally involved in such manufac-, flasks are stripped of their castings. v

ture. This enclI accomplish by employing a num- The circuit over which the centrifugal casting ber of casting units which are movable independmachines 4 travel comprises a, set of tracks '7, 8,

ently or in groups, according to a predetermined 9, and 10 disposed 'in the form- 0f a rectangle. 100

plan, fromone foundry station to another, and One track '1, constituting one side of the recthe operation of which is rendered for the most tangular' circuit, leads from' the flask receiving part automatic and made a part of the com-, station 2 to-a point beyond the pouring station 5. plete foundry system, so that the foundry system Another track 9, constituting the other side 01' becomes in effect a single machine capable of the circuit. leads to theflas dis station 105 continuous operation. r 6. I The tracks 8 and 10, constituting' the ends of Other specific objects and advantages charthe circuit, are disposed in a planebelow that'of acteristic of my invention will become more fully the tracks 7 and 9. By means of transfer cars apparent from the description hereinafter of 11a and 11b, movable back and forth on the one example or embodiment thereof, the descriptracks 8 and 10 respectively, the casting machines .110 I 4 are shifted across the ends of the circuit from one side track to the other.

Each casting machine 4 comprises a carriage 12 having bearings in the form of rollers 13, 13a which rotatably support a pair of flasks 1, and a prime mover 14, preferably an electric motor, for driving the flasks. As clearly shown in Fig. II; the motor 14 is connected through gearing 15 to a drive shaft 16. The drive shaft 16 is in turn connected through gearing 1'? to the center rollers 13a which serve as the driving elements for rotating the flasks. The carriage 12 of each casting machine 4 is stepped down at one end 18 to provide a depressed support for the motor 14, and the flasks 1 are caused to project beyond the other end of the carriage to facilitate the operation of charging their molds with molten metal. At each side of the carriage 12 there are smooth flat faces 19 which aflord striking abutments through which the movement of one carriage is imparted to the carriage of the next adjacent machine. On the top of the carriage 12 there are provided two projecting members 20 having inclined cam surfaces 21 which, as hereinafter described, are useful in connection with the discharge of flasks from the machine Beneath the carriage 12 there are flanged wheels 22 which engage the tracks 7 and 9 and which are disposed transversely to the axes of the flasks 1.

' The casting machines 4 are adapted to be moved simultaneously as to groups in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. I. For progressing the casting machines 4 along the track 7 there s a pressure cylinder 23, located at the flask receiving station 2, the plunger 24 of which is adapted to strike the side of one machine and to move it onto the track 7, while concurrently advancing the entire group of machines on the track 7 one step away from the flask receiving station 2. Similarly for progressing the casting machines 4 along the track 9 there is a like pressure cylinder 25 having a plunger 26 which when operated moves the entire group of machines on the track 9 one step toward the flask discharging station 6.

For the purpose of transferring the casting machines 4 from one side track 7, 9 to the other, the transfer cars 11a, 11b have short rail sections 27 disposed across their platforms. As shown clearly in Fig. IV, the rail sections 27 of the transfer cars 11a, 111) are normally in registry with a the tracks 7 and 9. Accordingly the transfer cars 1111, 11b are adapted, when positioned at the end of a side track 7 or 9, to receive a casting machine 4 as the group of machines is advanced eration of the transfer car will be understood from examination of Fig. II of the drawings. When pressure is admitted to the cylinder 29a its piston 31 is raised. The piston 31 carries a sheave 32 which engages a wire cable 33 one end of which is made fast at 34 and the other end of which is attached to the transfer car 11a. An

additional sheave 35 guides the cable and maintains it parallel to the track 8. Movement of the piston 31 in an obvious manner causes the transfer car to be advanced from. the position shown in full lines in Fig. II to the position shown in broken lines. Opposite to the pressure cylinder 29a there is a counterweight stand 36 provided with a series of sheaves 37, 38, and 39 which engage a wire cable 40, one end of which is attached to the transfer car 11a and the other end of which is attached to the counterweight 30a in the pit 41. In an obvious manner when pressure is released in the cylinder 29a the transfer car 11a will be returned from the position shown in broken lines to the position shown in full lines. The operation of the transfer car 11b is accomplished in an identical manner.

The elements of the pouring station 5 are shown most clearly in Fig. III. They comprise two cupolas having stationary gates 46 which lead to a pivoted gate 47. The pivoted gate 47 may be turned from one position to another to empty alternatively into either of two ladles 48. From the ladles 48, which serve as measuring ladles, metal is poured into pouring spouts 49, and from thence it enters the projecting ends of the flasks 1 mounted on the casting machine 4 which is positioned at the pouring station. When charging the flasks the pivoted gate 47 is first swung to one position, which causes the molten metal from the cupola 45 to enter one measuring ladle 48 and its corresponding flask 1. The pivotal gate 47 is then swung to the other position, charging metal into the other measuring ladle 48 and its corresponding flask 1.

In Fig. IV there is shown in detail the elements of the flask receiving station 2. Flasks with their refractory molds prepared for the casting operation are rolled to the flask receiving station along the trackway comprising the parallel rails 3. .For guiding the flasks two such rails 3 at one side are-spaced apart to accommodate annular flanges 50 located at one end of each flask. The rails 3 terminate in an elevated flask support 51. The elevated support 51 conveniently takes the form of a forked arm pivoted at 52 and having a portion 53 which is connected by a link 54 with the piston rod 55 of a pressure cylinder 56. The forked arm 51 is preferably provided with a pair of notches 57 at its outer end which serve to accommodate a pair of flasks in spaced relation. Similar notches 58 are provided near the ends of the rails 3 for limiting the position of the flasks as they are lined up onthe rails in preparation for the casting operation. The operation of the pressure cylinder 56, which serves to raise and lower the forked arm 51 is governed by a control valve 59, the latter being in turn controlled by an operating lever 60. A spring 61 connected to the operating lever maintains the control valve 59 normally closed.

When the transfer car 11b carrying thereon a casting machine 4 is shifted along the track 10 to the flask receiving station 2 the transfer car 11b and the machine thereon are brought to a position directly beneath the forked arm 51 which in that situation extends horizontally as shown in Fig. IV. Preparatory to the movement of the transfer car 11b a pair of flasks are rolled out to the notches 57 at the ends of the forked arm 51. As the transfer car comes to the flask receiving station 2 its casting machine 4 strikes the operating lever 60 of the control valve 59. This causes pressure to be admitted in the pressure cylinder 56 raising its piston 55 and lowering the forked arm 51 above its pivot 52. The lowering the casting machine 4 is progressed by operation of the plunger 24 .of the pressure cylinder 23 forward along the rails '7 toward the pouring station 5 the spring 61 causes a return of the operating lever 60 to its original position which exhausts the pressure cylinder 56 and causes the forked arm 51 toreturn to its original horizontal position. It will thus be apparent that the deposit of flasks on the casting machines '4 is effected automatically incident to the movement of the casting machines to the flask receiving station.

In Fig. V there is shown in detail the elements of the flask discharging station 6. These elements comprise an elevated flask support 62 having pivoted theretoa discharge skid 63.' The skid 63 comprises two sections 64 and 65. joining each other at an obtuse angle, each section comprisinga pair of arms. Disposed near the end of the section 65 of the pivoted skid 63 there is illustrated in Fig. V is more fully described in discharging station, the arms are caused to pick upthe pair of flasks on the machine and to roll these flasks by gravity to the position shown in Fig. V. Notches '70 in the rails '71 leading from the flask discharging station determine the ultimate position to whichthe flasks are rolled when discharged from a casting machine; and it will be particularly noted that one flask remaining on the arms ,of the section 65 of the pivoted skid 63 causes by virtue of its weight the arms of .the

7 other sectiontobe'maintained in elevated-posiat the flask dschargingstation 6 must not betion until the flask conveyor 66 effects a further progression of the flasks away from the flask discharging station. When the flask conveyor 66 is operated, theelevation of the reciprocatory-skid 67aprogresses the flask from the notches '70 for' ward along the rails '71 by a rolling movement. Subsequently, when the skid 67b is operated, the

other flask of the pair .will be similarly progressed onto the notches '76. When the conveyor has operated to this point the pivoted discharge skids 63 are relieved of the weight of the flasks and ,are caused to return to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. V. The conveyor 66 leads to a mold disintegrating station whereat the flasks are stripped of their castings, but this station forms no part of the present invention and is not therefore illustrated in the drawings.

It will beobserv'ed that the pivoted skid 63 lowered until the casting machine. has been transferred across to the flask receiving station 2, for otherwise the pivoted skid 63 would strike the flask supporting bearings 13 of the casting machine.

off the ends of the skid. When a; casting machine is moved to the flask discharging station 6 it strikes an operating lever '75 of a control valve 78 which causes the'pressure medium to be admitted to the pressure'cylinder 29b which operates the transfer car 111). Accordingly the shift of the transfer car 11b takes place before a double stroke of the conveyor 66 has occurred. By the time the flasks have been moved away from the flask discharging station 6 on the conveyor 66, and the pivoted skid 63 has retumed'to its lowered position, the transfer car 1112 has carried its empty casting machine on to the flask receiv ing station 2.

The means for controlling the several functions of the above described apparatus are shown diagrammatically in Fig; I. The mainpressure line is represented at 80 and has one branch 81 which leads to the transfer control valve 78 which governs the'shifting of the transfer car 11b from the mold discharging station 6 to the mold receiving station 2. Another branch 82 from the main pressure line 80 leads to a similar transfer controlvalve 83 which controls the shifting of the transfer car 11a. The transfer control valves 78 and 83 are interconnected by a rod 84, and they are so arranged that when one valve is opened the other valve is closed and vice versa. The connecting rod 84 is actuated by a bell crank lever- 85. The bell'crank lever 85 is fuicrumed at 86- and-is moved in one direction by movement of the operating lever 75, previously referred to, and is moved in the other direction by means of an additional operating lever 8'7 fulcrumed at 88, the latter lever being actuated by movement of the casting machines 4 from the mold receiving station 2 toward the pouring station 5.: From the transfer control valve 78 there is a pressure line 89 which leads to the pressure cylinder 29b. Likewise from the transfer 'control valve 83 there is a pressure line 90 which leads to the pressure cylinder 29a.

The main pressure line 80 also has a branch 91 which leads to the control valve 59, previously referred to which governs the operation of the pivoted arms 51 at the flask receiving station 2. The main pressure line 80 leads to a valve 92 which I conven'ently term the master control valves. From the master control valve 92 there is a line 93 leading to the pressure cylinder 23 ,movement of the plunger 26 of the pressure cylinder '25. With return of the transfer car 11a to its original position a spring 97 returns the operating lever 96 to its normal position clos'ng the valve-95. The various control valves hereinbefore mentioned are each provided with exhaust lines designated at an.

For convenience of illustration the several successive spaces of the circuit over which the casting machnes 4 travel are designated by the letters A to N in the order in which the casting machines travel. At the space designated at A the casting machine receives a pair of flasks. At the space designated at B the refractory linings of the flasks are preferably dried by means of a '63 is lowered by movement of the flasks from blow torch. At the space designated at C the head cores are placed in the ends of the flasks. p

. l ing machine, so that by the time the machine has reached the pouring station the flasks .are rotating. 1

At the spaces designated at E and F the flasks are turning and the centrifugal casting operation is being completed. At the space designated at G the casting machine moves off the side track 7 onto the transfer car 11a. As the casting machine 4 moves from space F to space G the current collecting brushes 98 move out of contact with the wires 99; which extend from y to 2, thus causing the speed of rotation of the flasks to decelerate. At the space designated at H the flasks are still turning and in the customary operation they continue to turn through space I, J, and K At the spaces designated at L and M the flasks have ceased to turn, and the castings therein are cooling. At the final space designated at N the flasks are discharged from the casting machines onto the conveyor 66. Ohviously the various steps involved in the movement of the casting machines may be varied consderably and need not follow the particular example herein outlined.

The operation of the above described apparatus is as follows: Assuming that the various elements of the apparatus are all in the position shown in Fig. I,- it will be observed that one casting machine has just reached the space N, that its flasks have been discharged, with one flask remaining on the pivoted skid 63 which is in elevated position, and

that the operating lever '75 of the transfer control valve '78 has been moved to a position which has caused the transfer control valve 78 to be opened and the transfer control valve 83 to be closed. With the parts in this position the pressure medium is cut off from the pressure cylinder 2941 which operates the, transfer car 11a, and accordingly under the influence of the counterweight 30a the transfer car 11a is automatically returned to a position in registry with the.tracks 7. Return movement of the transfer car 11a automatically cuts ofi the pressure medium from the pressure cylinder 25, under influence of the spring 97 onthe operating lever 96, which causes a retraction of the plunger 26. Moreover, the

transfer control valve 78 being opened, the pressure medium is admitted to the pressure cylinder 29b causing the transfer car 11b to be shifted from space N to space A, carrying thereon a casting machine 4 the flasks of which have been discharged onto the pivoted skid 63. As the transfer car 11b carrying its-empty casting machine approaches the flask receiving station 2, its casting machine strikes the operating lever 60, open ing the control valve 59, and admitting the pressure medium to the cylinder 56 which operates the pivoted arm 51. Thereby a pair of flasks are automatically deposited onto the casting machine.

At this point the operator manually movesthe master control lever 100 causing the pressure medium to be admitted to the pressure cylinder 23, the plungr'24 of which then causes the advancement, through one space, of each machine in the group 01' machines on the track '1, one machine of that group being progressed off the track 7 onto the transfer car 11a. With movement of a casting machine from space A to space B the operating lever 87 of the transfer control valve 78 is swung about its fulcrum 88 causing the transfer control valve 78 to close and the corresponding valve 83 to 'open. This in turn causes the pressure medium to be admitted to the pressure cylinder 29a and to be cut off from the pressure cylinder 29b. Hence when a casting machine has reached space G the transfer car 11a is at once automatically shifted to space H; and likewise under influence of the counterweight 3012 the other transfer car 11b is returned from space A to space N. At about the time of the return of the transfer car 111) to station N the pivoted skid 63 of the mold discharging station has been relieved of the weight of the flask by means of the conveyor 66. The conveyor 66 has by this time operated to carry the flasks toward the stripping station, and hence the pivoted skid is in readiness to receive another pair of flasks.

Incident to the completion of the movement of the transfer car 1101. from space G to space H the operating lever 96 of the control valve 95 is moved, causing the pressure medium to be admitted to the control valve 95 operating the pressure cylinder 25. As soon as the transfer car 11a has reached station H the plunger 26 is thus forced outward, causing advancement, through one space, of all of the machines of the group on the track 9. With this movement of the group of machines on the track 9 one machine is advanced onto the transfer car 111) at the mold discharging station 6. Thereupon its flasks are automatically 110 picked up by the pivoted skid 51 engaging the cam surfaces 21 in the manner previously described. The flasks are caused to roll by gravity to a position at the end of the conveyor whereupon the circuit has been completed and the operations are repeated.

From the above description it will be apparent that the apparatus of this invention makes possible an orderly and efficient method of performing the various steps, including the handling 120 .steps, involved in making castings by the centrifugal process. It results in rapid production without waste of time and labor. Moreover, it will be understood by those skilled in this art that numerous changes may be made in the particular instrumentalities selected for the practice of the invention, and that certain features of the invention may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features, all without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a flask receiving station comprising an elevated support for carrying a flask, and means for raising and lowering said .support; a centrifugal casting machine movable to a position beneath said support, said machine including a carriage having bearings for rotatably supporting a flask; and means whereby the movement of said machine to a position beneath said elevated support automatically causes the lowering of the same and the deposit of a flask on the bearings aforesaid.

2. In combination with a flask receiving station comprising a pivoted arm for carrying a flask, and means for raising and lowering said arm about its pivot; a track extending beneath said pivoted arm; a centrifugal casting machine movable on said track, said machine including a carriage having bearings for rotatably supporting a flask; and means whereby the movement of said machine to a position beneath said pivoted arm automatically causes the lowering of said arm and the deposit of a flask'on the bearings aforesaid.

3. In combination with a flask receiving station comprising a pivoted arm for carrying a flask, a cylinder for raising and lowering said arm about its pivot; a track extending beneathsaid pivoted arm; a centrifugal casting machine movable on said track, and means whereby the movement of said machine to a position beneath said pivoted arm automatically operates said cylinder to effect a lowering of the arm and the deposit of a flask on said machine.

4. In combination with a flask discharging station comprising an elevated skid adapted to be raised and lowered; a centrifugal casting machine including a carriage having bearings for rotatably supporting a flask, and a cam surface adjacent to said bearings, said machine being movable to a position in which said elevated skid extends between the carriage and the flask thereon, and said cam surface being adapted to engage said skid when in that position and to elevate the same, thereby discharging the flask onto said skid.

5. In combination with a flask discharging station comprising a pivoted skid; a track extending to the vicinity of said skid, a centrifugal casting machine including a carriage having bearings for rotatably supporting a flask, and a cam surface on said carriage, said carriage being movable on said track to a position in which a portion of said pivoted skid extends between the carriage and the flask thereon, and said cam surface being adapted to engage said skid when in that position and to elevate the same about its pivot, thereby discharging the flask onto said skid and causing the flask to roll by gravity on said skid.

6. In a foundry plant, a trackway constituting a flask receiving station, an additional trackway constituting a flask discharging station, a set of tracks forming a rectangular closed circuit with portions thereof aligned with the trackways of said flask receiving and flask discharging stations, centrifugal casting machines movable on said tracks, each machine including a carriage having bearings for rotatably supporting a flask and a prime mover for driving the flask; means for progressing said machines around said closed circuit, andmeans responsive to the movement of said machines for automatically transferring flasks onto and ofi said bearings at said flask receiving and flask discharging stations respectively.

7. In a foundry plant, a trackway constituting a flask receiving station, a parallel trackway constituting a flask discharging station, a set of tracks forming a rectangular closed circuit with opposite sides of said circuit aligned with the trackways of said flask receiving and flask discharging stations, centrifugal casting machines movable on said tracks, each machine including a carriage having bearings for rotatably supporting a flask and a prime mover for driving the flask; means for progressing said machines around said closed circuit, and means for transferring flasks onto and off said bearings at said flask receiving and flask discharging stations respectively. 8. In a foundry plant, a series of stations including a flask receiving station, a pouring station and a flask discharging station; a plurality of centrifugal casting machines each comprising a movable carriage having thereon bearings for rotatably supporting a flask, an electric motor for driving the flask, and current collecting means in circuit with said motor projecting from said carriage, means for advancing one such machine from the flask receiving station toward the pouring station while concurrently advancing another suchmachine from the pouring station toward the flask discharging station, and current supplying conductors in the path of said machines adapted to engage said current collecting means when a carriage is at said pouring station and to disengage said means when a carriage is moved a predetermined distance beyond the pouring station.

LOUIS A. CAMEROTA. 

